ROONEY TO MISS SUNDERLAND CLASH

Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney is set to miss the game against Premier League strugglers Sunderland on Sunday.


The Red Devils are hoping to continue their dream of finishing in the top four this season.

Rooney has struggled this seasonand he is set to miss more games due to ankle problems. The 31-year old could prove helpful when he returns for the end of the season scramble. United played Ronald Koeman’s Everton side without the star player as the issues with his ankle persisted. Rooney’s boyhood club forced their hosts to a 1-1 draw.

Manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Rooney might miss the match as the club’s all-time highest goal scorer battles fitness ahead of the trip to Sunderland.

“Two ankles, so I don’t know. But I don’t think it is easy to recover in a couple of days,” Mourinho said.

United would welcome the return of right back Antonio Valencia. The Ecuador international was decent in the role and the team missed his absence. He was rested for the game against Everton but he is set to make a return this weekend.

Others set to miss the game are Phil Jones, Juan Mata and Chris Smalling. The coach confirmed that the trio would be sidelined for a “long time” – another blow to United’s hopes this term. The Europa League remains the major lifeline for the club to make the UEFA Champions League next year – a major target for the manager after several misses.

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Mourinho proud of his players

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said that he is proud of his players and the way they performed in the match against Leicester City.


He stated that this was a tricky game away from home and that he is pleased that the players followed the instructions.

Jose Mourinho said that he has a good group of players and that they are all working hard in training. He said that if Manchester United did not make a bad start to the Premier League they would have been challenging for the title at the moment.

He said that it is normal for a new manager to struggle at first as he was getting used to his team at the start of the season but he feels that things have improved now.

He said that the team has been on a good run of form and this has brought confidence to the team. He said that this season can be a successful one as they are still in all competitions.

Jose Mourinho stated that he has full confidence in his squad and he believes that they will finish the season strongly. He believes that the aim at the moment is to win the League Cup and then finish as high as they can in the Premier League.

He said that rivals above them should be wary of Manchester United as they are on a good winning streak and that they are determined to continue on the same path.

He believes that the new players have now adapted to the pace of the Premier League and that they are complementing the younger players. He said that he has a good squad at the moment and that he does not believe that there will be big changes during the summer transfer window.

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic steps up and defends Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney has recently been appearing in the headlines of the media but not in a positive way as the captain of Manchester United was involved in a drinking incident during his latest international break with England and the English attacker was seen drinking late at night as well as entering a wedding ceremony in a rather unexpected fashion.


This is not the only reason of why Rooney has been critiqued from the past few weeks but also because of his lack of goals. Wayne Rooney is a player that earns around £300,000 and he has historically struggled trying to score more than 20 goals in each season.

Things have not been any different for Wayne Rooney in this current season as he has not been a consistent goal-scorer with only 1 goal scored from 11 Premier League matches, although he has been serving more of a provider than an actual goal-scorer as that task has been given to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

From 2004 until 2011, Wayne Rooney has successively scored from around 11-19 goals in each season which is extremely disappointing for a player that has always been one of the highest paid players in the entire Premier League.

Despite these underwhelming seasons and recent drinking incidents that Wayne Rooney has been involved in, his Manchester United teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic has recently emerged to defend Rooney as the Swedish attacker said:

“I don’t see many players from England who have had the same career as him. I feel a little bit sorry of the situation because we should show more respect for him. As a person he’s fantastic, I have the luck to get to know the person. As a player, there are no words to not say about him, he’s the perfect player. Everybody knows what he can do, what he did, what he has done. I’m happy for him to break the record and I will help him to go one more then I see it as the real record.”

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KOEMAN HAPPY TO SIGN ROONEY FOR EVERTON

Everton manager Ronald Koeman has said he would be “pleased” to bring back Red Devils skipper Wayne Rooney back to the club after years at Old Trafford. The former Southampton boss said:


“He is a great player, and he has still not finished his career. I do not know how his situation is, and I need to respect that situation. That’s not my problem,” Koeman said.

Rooney, who is three goals shy of being United’s leading goal scorer, has struggled this term under Coach Jose Mourinho but the Portuguese tactician insists that Rooney is part of his plans. The former Chelsea boss decided to back Rooney at the start of the season despite the criticisms, but after a sloppy start to the season, he had to drop the captain.

“But even when we get one time the possibility that Rooney is an option for Everton, I’m very pleased,” Koeman added.

Rooney moved to Man United back in 2004 for £27 million. He has played over 500 games for the club, scoring an impressive 246 goals. Many since his snub from the starting line-up had questioned the 31-year old player’s future.

The player would likely not consider a move to his boyhood club considering his status. He was a star at Goodison Park when he joined in 2002 but nature has definitely taken its toll on him. In the last 23 games for United, he has scored only two goals against Bournemouth. While he is still a decent player, at the end of the season he might consider a move away from the club before he further rubbishes his legacy in the Manchester-based outfit. Koeman was likely playing to the gallery, as he would want any of his players to be at their best.

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ROONEY TO MEET ENGLAND COACH

Three Lions skipper Wayne Rooney is set to meet with the interim manager of England Gareth Southgate on Friday over his future with the country.

The Red Devils star has been struggling with form this season, and has not fared well to the heavy scrutiny and criticisms. After the performance at the Euro 2016, many questioned his place in the international set-up.

After Sam Allardyce got the England job, he declared his support for the player. However, it seems Southgate has different ideas. Daily Star reported that the 30-year old will discuss the plans Southgate has for England’s record goal scorer. Southgate was appointed interim manager following the termination of Allardyce’s deal after a Telegraph investigation. Southgate will oversee the next four matches in the World Cup qualifiers, pending a permanent appointment.

The report also mentioned that Rooney would want to clarify his position as the captain of England and his position in the set-up. At the club level, Coach Jose Mourinho plays Rooney as a No. 10, refusing to play him in the midfield where he played under Louis van Gaal. Under Allardyce, Rooney played in similar role. Rooney would require assurances, particularly after he was benched in the game against Leicester City in the Premier League, and reports saying he would see more of the bench in the next few league games.

The squad announcement for the next international break is due on Sunday. Southgate will take the reins for the games, so a discussion between the pair was imminent as Rooney might not get a call-up due to his recent form for his club. After the Europa League, and Stoke City games, the interim boss should be able to decide if he needs Rooney in the team in the face of several options, and high target.

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Roy Hodgson has revealed that he has no intention is to retire from management just yet

Former England manager Roy Hodgson has revealed that he has no intention is to retire from management just yet.

After a disastrous Euro 2016 in which England once again failed to even reach the quarter-finals, Hodgson announced that he would be stepping down from his post after four years in charge of the national team. During this period, the former Liverpool and West Brom manager has been unable to make any impact at a major tournament. However, he will be credited for introducing the likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Dele Alli, and the Raheem Sterling into the national team at a very young age.

At 68 years of age, it was thought that Hodgson would announced his retirement from management. Instead, Hodgson says that he will make a decision on his future once he returns from a holiday and he is likely to look at a return to Premier League football. Best known for his time at Fulham a couple of years ago, Hodgson has not experienced much success in the last few years. His time at Liverpool was a spectacular failure while he did not achieve much at West Brom either. It remains to be seen if he will receive a job offer from a club in the Premier League.

“I would have loved to stay on for another two years. However, I am pragmatic and I know we are in the results business. My contract was always up after the Euros, so now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of this young, hungry and extremely talented group of players. They have been fantastic and have done everything that has been asked of them. I’m extremely disappointed of course about tonight’s result and, ultimately, our exit from the competition,” said Hodgson after announcing his resignation following the Euro 2016.

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Jack Wilshere has praised England captain Wayne Rooney

Jack Wilshere has praised England captain Wayne Rooney for his performance in the 1-1 draw with Russia.

Even though England were unable to get the victory that they were seeking so desperately, there were some positives for the national team in the form of Rooney’s performance. Despite playing in a midfield role, Rooney was at the heart of everything good done by England. It was rather surprising to see him substituted for Wilshere in the second half. However, England manager Roy Hodgson seems to have been thinking about preserving the 1-0 lead rather than going for scoring more goals.

The decision ultimately proved to be the downfall for the national team, as they now face an uphill task in order to qualify from the group. Wales are known the biggest competitors after Chris Coleman’s team secured a 2-1 win against Slovakia. A match between the two teams comes up in the next few days and it is a must win for England. However, they will feel rather confident about doing well since Rooney has given them a major boost. Wilshere feels that if England perform just as they did against Russia, they stand a good chance of winning against Wales.

The Arsenal midfielder, though, expressed his doubts initially as to whether Rooney can perform in the midfield after having been a striker throughout his career. “He is fantastic. I watched him towards the end of the season playing for Manchester United in that deeper role.People saying can he do it? I’m sitting there thinking he’s doing it and he is the best player on the pitch. He is that type of player, he can understand the game. He can pick up on the ball. He is comfortable on the ball and you saw his range of passing as well,” said Wilshere.

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WAYNE ROONEY TESTIMONIAL DETAILS CONFIRMED BY MANCHESTER UNITED

England and Manchester United Skipper Wayne Rooney has his testimonial details confirmed by the club.

The club will face Rooney’s former club everton FC on august 3 in what will be United’s first home pre season fixture in two years now. The testimonial is confirmed to be Mourinho’s first game in charge at the club.

Rooney wants the game after making his 20 million Pounds move from Goodison Park in 2004 and Mourinho has hailed him as the best player for the England. He said:

“Wayne is and has been England’s best player for over a decade and this game will be a fitting tribute to everything he has achieved. I’m looking forward to what will be a very special night for us both.

“I’m sure the fans will make this s memorable occasion and help Wayne to raise a lot of money to help support vulnerable children.”

The game will mark the beginning of a year of fundraising events by Wayne Rooney Foundation. The foundation wants five million Pounds raised for disadvantaged and vulnerable children. Rooney says he is very excited at the opportunity and even pledged that he would “never play for another Premier League club” effectively killing speculations that he could return to Everton much later.

Some fans and pundits have asked that England manager Roy Hodgson bench the player at the Euros, preferably brining in the forward as substitute, considering his tournament records in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups and Euro 2012. Many are excited at the chance at Jamie Vardy pairing up with Harry Kane with Dele Alli playing the number 10 but Hodgson will most likely give Rooney a starting spot.

Rooney overtook Sir Bobby Charlton’s scoring record for England and is set to break the club’s record of the 1966 World Cup winner in his first season under Mourinho.

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WAYNE ROONEY COULD PLAY AGAINST WEST HAM

Wayne Rooney is reported completely fit after he suffered from a knee injury months back.

He could feature in the sixth round FA cup replay against West Ham on Wednesday. He was given a chance to play as Manchester united youth team took on Middleborough on Monday.

Coach Louis Van Gaal gave the English captain an opportunity to play in the reserves in the game in a bid to prove his fitness. The English skipper has missed 12 games for The Red Devils since his knee injury.

In the game for the youth team, Rooney had a rather quiet affair but for a second-half free-kick that curled over the crossbar. Paddy McNair scored the only goal of the match.

Manchester United were disgraced by Spurs on Sunday by 3-0. The loss drew huge criticism as their UEFA Champions League hopes were almost dashed with fourth placed Manchester City going on to win their match, stretching the points’ difference to four.

Manchester United will travel to Upton Park for a quarter-final replay of the FA Cup. LVG says his team’s defense would have to improve in order to deal with West Ham striker Andy Carroll. This is possibly the last chance of silverware this season for The Red Devils.

The Dutch Coach said: “I’ve seen the Andy Carroll show and I think our problem against Tottenham was also the miscommunication of our central defenders.”

With Wayne Rooney’s 61-minute performance for the club’s Under-21 team at Old Trafford, he has set himself up for a recall into first team action that will possibly begin with the FA cup replay with in-form West Ham.

For the international scene, the England captain has from the game till May 12 to prove his fitness before Coach Hodgson names his final 23-man squad for France. He has seven games before then to prove his fitness to the England manager.

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Is the Premier League really the best league in the world?

Premier League fans are always proud to state that the Premier League is the best league in the world? Is it really the case?

With only Manchester City still in the Champions League at the moment, this is not really a proof that the league is the most competitive one. So why do Premier League clubs fail to make it to the big stage?

Ever since 2009, there have not been more than 2 English representatives in the later stage of the Champions League. Gradually it has become worst with English clubs failing to make it to the semi-finals.

One reason that has been put forward is the absence of winter break in England. Indeed, Premier League sides do not benefit from a break and keep on playing during the Christmas and New Year period. This result in players that is more tired than their competitors.

Some pundits have also stated that the strength of the Premier League plays against them in European condition. Indeed, with the teams being competitive from the top of the table to the bottom, it is difficult for the top sides to rest key players before European competition. As a result, they play in Europe with tired players against sides that can afford to rest their key players.

Opponents of the Premier League have simply argued that the league is not competitive anymore. The best players do not play there but instead in Spain or Germany. Indeed, this might be true when you see that the two best players Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi plays in the Spanish League. They are joined with players such as Neymar, Benzema, and Luis Suarez.

If the Premier League wants to retain its crown as the best league in the world, changes will be needed and quickly.

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